It all started in 1999, when Duane Sorenson opened a modest café with a tiny, five-kilo roaster. That humble operation—Stumptown Coffee Roasters—is, of course, now practically synonymous with "Third Wave" coffee. The success of its lighter-than-normal roasts and pour-over brewing methods have, in the years since, inspired a tsunami of micro-roasters to open their own cafés, and the result is that Portland now has one of the richest coffee landscapes in the country. Today, you can get your latte at a minimal-is-more, Scandinavian-chic café; in a purple double-decker bus run by an affable Egyptian immigrant; or at the only U.S. outpost of the buzzy Melbourne-based coffee chain, Proud Mary. One thing is for certain: you won’t be disappointed by your java. Read on for a look at the 14 best coffee shops in Portland.

Oui Presse, on Hawthorne Boulevard down in Southeast Portland, is cheery and feminine, with lights strung around and the smell of freshly baked cookies emanating from the kitchen. On sunny days, the outdoor patio is especially inviting. The coffee here is perfectly adequate, but it won't impress coffee nerds—really, people are coming for the homey ambiance, the relative quiet, and the baked goods. Oh, and the amazing PB&J, which along with a hazelnut espresso coffee cake, comprises the very limited (but very delicious) food menu. You can also get a baguette or toast with butter and jam.

A creaky screen door, oversize leather couches, and worn wooden floors give Albina Press a rustic, cabin-like vibe—all the better to cozy up over a drink and a laptop. This place is great for hanging out, studying, reading, and working, a cup of top-notch coffee in-hand. There are outdoor seats, too, which makes it ideal for a sunny day. The crowd here is diverse, but everyone's united in their appreciation for the excellent espresso drinks (made with Coava beans) and the French press coffee (made by the cup).

The coffee at Proud Mary, the only U.S. outpost of the popular Australian chain, is predictably superb. Sometimes you'll find the pricey (but excellent) Panamanian Geisha ($10 a glass) or roasts that have won Cup of Excellence awards. The place serves a fabulous brunch, with cleverly named dishes like Golden Child, a ricotta hotcake with charred peach and crème fraîche and cobbler crumb, and Perpetual Renters, a slab of sourdough topped with avocado, lemon cucumber, heirloom tomato, gremolata, seeds, and za'atar. Whatever you choose, complement it with a perfectly balanced flat white.

Heart, in Portland's Kerns neighborhood, is one of the better roasters in town—it's perfect for your most coffee-obsessed friends. Here, you'll find incredibly high-quality espresso drinks made from lighter-than-usual roasts that highlight the complexity of each single origin. (The brewed coffee is good, too, but it's not made via a Chemex.) The spacious cafe is also a great place to work for a few hours between meetings—you'll see plenty of thirtysomethings hunched over MacBooks.

Tiny and bright, with aqua tiles on the floor, a Matisse Jazz–type mural on the back wall, and colorful bags of coffee beans, Sunnyside's Never is, well, never not vibrant. The creative lattes here are a step above, too. Everything from the Holy Grail (with turmeric, ginger, and lots of other goodies) to the Oregon (with cascade hops, dulce de leche, and Jacobsen sea salt) is divine. Best of all, drinks are served in colorful, locally made ceramic mugs.

Ristretto is a quiet café with a studious vibe—you'll see plenty of twenty- and thirysomethings pecking away at their laptops—with high ceilings and skylights that let in the sun, and two couches that form a little nook. Beyond the atmosphere, Ristretto is a coffee nerd's dream. You can get your single origin in an Aeropress or a blend in a French Press. Latte art is beautifully creative here, often with two designs in one foamy, frothy creation. Pastries and cookies are from Bakeshop, Kim Boyce's fabulous whole grain bakery; the blueberry bran muffin is moist, flavorful, and not too sweet.

What makes Tov unique, surprisingly, isn't just that it's in a double-decker bus retrofitted as a cafe with Turkish and Middle Eastern decor. There's also more choice here than at your average Portland coffee shop. In addition to Egyptian coffee (finely grounded with cardamom) there's also a Rose Mocha (a mocha with a hint of rose), Mucho Caliente (a dark-chocolate mocha with aji panca chile), and Mint Thing (cold brew with mint and cream). For food, try Egyptian pastries like baalawa (like baklava) or falafel croissants (no, really).

Coava's industrial-feeling flagship doesn't have a romantic, or even design-y, atmosphere; rather, the cafe feels very workaday—you'd probably come here to log a few hours on your story or screenplay or meet with a client on a rainy day. But you will be assured that it takes coffee very seriously, not only because there are three Chemex pots up on the counter—but because Coava has produced its own metal filter (to take the place of paper filters) for Chemex; you can buy one here for $50. There's a single-origin menu at the bar—choose which to have brewed (via Chemex, of course)—or go for an excellent espresso drink. For food, there are pastries from Little T, a local bakery.

This hole-in-the-wall Old Town cafe has only a few places to sit, but that's not what you'll be focused on. One-of-a-kind Nikes hang from the walls, a hint that the owner is a sneakerhead (and former Nike shoe designer). The coffee, roasted by the owner, is good but not pretentious. There are also creative cold drinks like the LeBronald Palmer, a mix of coffee, sweet tea, and lemonade. (It's rumored to be LeBron's favorite drink.) There's no official menu, but you can ask for a piece of the Trap Cake, a pound cake–like butterscotch cake made by owner Ian Williams' mom.

Barista is a tiny sliver of a café, with a small wooden bar that accommodates just four or five guests, plus tables in the hallway outside and on the outdoor patio fronting 13th Avenue in the Pearl District. One of the original third-wave coffee shops in Portland, Barista still pours high-quality coffee drinks. It has three roasts available at all times; say, Barista's own brew, one from 49th Parallel in Vancouver, B.C., and another from Kickapoo in Wisconsin. You can order classic coffee drinks, but tryto go for something interesting, like the Oregon hazelnut latte or the chai latte, made with gingery Tanglewood chai.

Crema's lattes are always good, and the brewed coffee is from one of several local roasters, but no one makes a big to-do about the drinks. People who come here do so more for the convivial atmosphere—and the baked goods. The space is inviting, with mellow music, the smell of baked goods, and creative types clattering away at their laptops, and plenty of room—so you'll never feel guilty for taking up a table to work for a few hours. There are a few things to nibble on, including sandwiches and savory pastries, but opt for our personal favorite: The Kickstart, an egg sandwich with brown sugar–pepper bacon and sharp cheddar on ciabatta.

Water Avenue is a lively café with people coming and going, mellow rock playing, and coffee that's taken seriously. (To wit: There are Chemex coffeemakers and Hario kettles behind the counter, and roaster Matt Milletto helped found the barista school next door.) A daily Chemex menu suggests the three best roasts to try out via Chemex, though you might also try the perfectly made latte, topped with skillfully executed rosettas. You can also get a reliably delicious breakfast and lunch here. The options—avo toast, yogurt with cacao nib granola, and a few different kinds of bowls—skew simple and vegetable-heavy.

Scandi decor, groovy music, creative types working away at their laptops: That's Upper Left Roasters. Clearly, quality coffee is the name of the game here; after all, you can see the roaster from the entrance. A great toast menu includes the requisite avocado toast, plus a few other iterations: there's one on spelt with poached egg, radish, and Mama Lil's peppers; another, also on spelt, is topped with cashew adobo spread, pepitas, cilantro, and scallions). All told, it's a great place to work while fueling up on caffeine and enjoying a mid-morning meal, and for meeting up with clients or colleagues.

Guilder is a bright, high-ceilinged space with mellow music and a bouquet of sunflowers beside the espresso machine. The roaster is visible from the street, indicating that this is clearly a spot that takes coffee seriously—though it also serves stronger stuff, with a few cocktails and wines available by the glass. If you can, head here for breakfast: Much to the delight of movie fans, the menu is Princess Bride-themed, with items like Fred Savage Toast (avocado on multigrain toast), Buttercup Toast (multigrain toast topped with butter, almond butter, cranberry apple butter, cardamom candied almonds, and sea salt) and The Humperdinck (vegan apple sage sausage, dijon mustard, pickled peppers, walnut pesto, and red onion beet relish on a potato bun).